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Does a Lack of Early Intensive Socialisation with Humans Exclude Goats from Participating in Animal-Assisted
Wiktoria Janicka1, Kamila Janicka1, Patrycja Magdalena Masier1
1Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|February 27, 2026
Summary
Goats show some interest in animal-assisted services (AAS) by tolerating human contact and seeking support during stress. However, further training is needed to enhance their willingness to interact with people for AAS participation.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Animal-assisted services (AAS)
Background:
- Sociability and willingness to interact are crucial for animals in animal-assisted services (AAS).
- Goats' potential for AAS participation, particularly without prior intensive human socialization, remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate predispositions to AAS in goats lacking extensive human socialization.
- To assess goats' sociability towards humans, including approach, touch, and interaction willingness.
Main Methods:
- Ten goats were evaluated through four tests: human approach/touch acceptance, voluntary approach to passive/active humans, and a novel sound fear test.
- Tests involved a familiar caretaker and a neutral person to assess responses to different human presences.
Main Results:
- Goats generally accepted human touch but showed limited voluntary interaction.
- Goats exhibited less fear and quicker recovery from a stressor when a human was present, indicating humans as a source of support.
- Female goats displayed higher sociability towards humans.
Conclusions:
- Goats possess some traits suitable for AAS, like tolerance and stress support.
- These inherent traits are insufficient for AAS participation; additional training is necessary to improve interaction initiation.
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